Fruit and Your Weight Loss Programs
Posted by Brett Riesenhuber on Wed, Aug 17, 2011 @ 06:00 AM
The question of fruit and weight loss comes up very frequently when speaking with personal training and boot camp clients.
Actually the topic comes up so frequently that I decided to devote an entire blog article just to the subject of how fruit impacts a weight loss program.
First let's clear up a very important point about weight loss and diet...
There are 2 ways to look at foods when evaluating for weight loss diet:
- Is this food "Good For Me?"
- Is this food "Good For My Weight Loss Program?"
If the answer to both is "NO!" then the obvious is true: "Don't Friggin Eat It!" ;-)
The question needs to be addressed to things that can be considered "Good For Me" BUT may NOT be "Good For My Weight Loss Program."
For example:
A glass of wine may, as viewed by many, be good for me. But it is not really good for a weight loss program. The calories and the fact that the body looks at alcohol as a toxin, just don't add up to being good for weight loss programs.
Now don't get me wrong...I LOVE my wine baby! There is a time and place for it though.
So a bit of Vino may be "Good For Me" but may not be "Good For My Weight Loss Program."
Another example is Fruit Juice. Sure fruit juice is generally loaded with vitamins, BUT fruit juice is also loaded with SUGAR.
Think about how many oranges it takes to make a glass of orange juice. Now think how many it takes to make a glass of orange juice the size YOU like to drink!
A Lot, right? Well there are a ton of calories in "A Lot" and there is also hardly any of the pulp that goes with eating an orange...and you would NEVER sit down and eat that many damn oranges!
So fruit juice MAY have some added "Good For Me" characteristics, but it clearly is not "Good For My Weight Loss Program." (Honestly, fruit juice generally has so much sugar that I have to argue the "good for anything" idea of fruit juice when you take into consideration: Insulin! But that is another article...and I think I have already written it here somewhere;-)
So what about FRUIT?
Isn't fruit "Good For Me?"
Yep!
Well isn't fruit "Good For My Weight Loss Program?"
Nope!
Think about the goal of your weight loss program: Burn Fat!
The goal isn't to lose weight, it is to lose FAT.
Weight is just what the fat is making your body weigh and take up mass. So we want to burn the fat and weight loss is what comes from that.
Ideally we actually want to GAIN muscle and burn more fat...to an extent (don't freak out on me here ladies...we want to do it right...Guys: Sure, add as much muscle as humanly possible as fast as humanly possible...I know that is your goal;-)
The reality is that we DO want to increase muscle tone and decrease fat mass. Can we agree on that?
Yep!
OK, so can we also agree that burning fat is hard?
Yep!
Burning fat is tough for the body to do too. The body would rather sit on the couch and watch soaps too (OK guys, football).
What is easy for the body to burn?
Ready?....
SUGAR!
Guess what is in FRUIT?
SUGAR!
So when we work our asses off in the gym to get it to burn fat, then add in sugar...even in the form of fruit...we let the body off the hook and allow it to burn the easier fuel: Fruit Sugar.
Think about it for a second and it will be crystal clear:
Fruit is sugar, fruit has great nutrients, fruit is easier for the body to burn than fat, THUS fruit will slow down the body's ability to burn fat.
AND the worst time to take in fruit is immediately AFTER a workout!
Right after a workout you should stick to lean protein or lean protein and a starchy/fibrous carbohydrate. Fat and sugar are totally wrong to add into the diet after a workout and should be avoided at all costs.
So enjoy fruit, but in moderation.
When on a weight loss program, cut it back as much as you feel comfortable because it won't help you to burn fat.
On your scheduled cheat days, go for it and enjoy the hell out of fruit!
But think about it when you are on your weight loss program diet...
Now Go Workout!
Did you learn something?
Leave Your Comments Below!!!
